The Oklahoma Sooners take on the Missouri Tigers for the 97th time in a history that dates back to 1902. The Sooners are 67-25-4 all-time against the Tigers, but that will have no bearing on this game.
Neither the Sooners nor the Tigers are meeting preseason expectations. Oklahoma was once a top 15 team but hasn’t been ranked in weeks. The Tigers inched inside the top 10 but are hanging onto their place in the top 25 by a thread.
Missouri is 6-2 on the season but just 2-2 in SEC play, with blowout losses to Texas A&M and Alabama. While they are two of the best teams in the conference, the Tigers’ offense struggled against two really good defenses.
Oklahoma’s offense has struggled as well, leading to a coordinator change and multiple quarterback changes throughout the season. However, after a strong first half performance against Ole Miss, an efficient performance against Maine, and the probable return of a pair of key weapons, there’s hope the Sooners are trending in a positive direction on offense. They’ve got a defense good enough to win, just need the offense to carry their weight.
Can the Oklahoma Sooners pick up their sixth win of the season and secure bowl eligibility? Let’s take a look at this week’s Sooners Wire Staff Predictions.
Sooners Wire Staff Predictions for Oklahoma at Missouri
This game comes down to the health of Missouri quarterback Brady Cook, in my opinion. If he’s good to go, the Tigers have enough offense and overall talent to put too many points on the board for Oklahoma to keep up. But if he’s can’t go, or is severely limited, Mizzou’s offense may look closer to what it did against Alabama.
I’ll go with the latter. OU will be without their top two offensive tackles again this week, but the running game does just enough against a struggling Missouri defense. The defense will have to be opportunistic and win the key moments.
If the Sooners get a solid outing from Jackson Arnold, don’t give up the big plays defensively, and win the turnover battle, they’ll get to bowl eligibility.
Oklahoma 21, Missouri 17
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